S6 E11: Small Hands, Big Impact - Writing Joy Into A Veteran’s Holiday

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All right, welcome listeners to the final episode of Flippin the Switch for 2025.
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We are still in the season of giving here at Jones Onslow, so to keep that going and get into the Christmas spirit, we have a very special Christmas episode highlighting a wonderful cause right here in Jacksonville.
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I always say the future of our local youth is so bright, and the work this individual is doing is no exception.
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So please welcome 10-year-old Tucker from In Tucker's Mailbox.
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Hey Tucker.
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Hi.
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Are you excited to be here?
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Yes.
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We're excited to have you.
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Okay, so to start off, I have a list of questions.
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I want to pick your brain all about the awesome letters you send and receive.
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But before we do that, I'm gonna ask you some fun questions.
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So when's your birthday, Tucker?
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4815.
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And what's your favorite part of your birthday?
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Eating the cake.
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Eating cake, me too.
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So Christmas is next week.
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What's your favorite part about Christmas?
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Delivering the cards to the VA home.
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And are you asking for anything special this year?
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Not really.
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No.
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You just like to serve others.
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That's really awesome.
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Alright, okay.
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I have some questions to ask you.
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Are you ready?
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Okay.
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So tell me a little bit about Tucker's mailbox.
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What all do you do?
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We write letters to people around the world.
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And it's really fun to see some of their answers.
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And we ask them about their life and career.
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And we got a letter from Tina Louise.
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And For those of you who don't know, Tina Louise is actually Ginger on Gilligan's Island.
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And that was really cool.
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Yeah, that is really cool.
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So you get to send letters to really anybody across the world, and that's one of them.
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But for this Christmas season, you specifically send them to veterans, correct?
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Yes, ma'am.
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And that's perfect, obviously, for where we live.
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So when did you first start collecting letters and cards for veterans for the Christmas season?
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We started collecting in 2020 during COVID.
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And then it just kind of blossomed into what it is today, correct?
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Yes, ma'am.
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And then you were around five years old when that happened?
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Yes.
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That's really cool.
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And how did you come up with the idea to do that at five years old?
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We were thinking that it was during COVID, and so the veterans couldn't have anyone come visit them.
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And so we thought, let's do something to give to them and give them a Christmas.
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That's really, really awesome and very thoughtful.
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Okay, so a little birdie told us that when you were young, around five years old when this started, you were practicing writing your name.
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That's kind of how you got your start sending out these letters.
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Do you remember the first ever letter you wrote?
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It didn't even have to be Christmas time, but do you remember the first letter you sent out and who it was to?
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One of the first letters I ever received was from Manola Smith.
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She was on the bus with Rosa Parks and told about what happened from her perspective.
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Wow.
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And what what did you feel when you were reading that letter?
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Did you think she was going to respond?
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Were you hopeful that she was?
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Yes, ma'am.
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Whenever she was on the bus with Rosa Parks, what all happened and how she saw it that it happened.
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That's really awesome.
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So that was like your own personal account of that really big moment in history.
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That's really awesome that you got to hear from her.
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So moving on to Christmas specifically, how many cards have you gotten this year so far?
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I don't really know right now.
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All I know is that I've gotten more than last year.
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And last year we got over 5,000.
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And the way I learn how many I got is on Christmas Eve while we're doing all the bundles.
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I do a video from my Facebook page and I reveal how many I got.
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That's really cool.
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So just like everybody has to wait to find out how many letters you're sending out, so do you.
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So be sure to tune into his Facebook page this year to see how many that he's sending out for this Christmas.
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Can you tell us about how you deliver these cards and does your family help?
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On Christmas Eve, we do bundles of a hundred.
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And then on Christmas Day, we drive them to the Kinston VA home.
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And this year, if we get a certain amount of cards, we may end up having to go to the Fayetteville one also.
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Wow.
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So two stops this year, maybe.
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Yes.
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Is that exciting?
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Yes.
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Yeah.
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And does your family help with that process?
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What does that look like right before you deliver these letters?
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If we only go to the one VA home, then we can take more than just me and my dad.
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But if we go to just the both VA homes, then it will just be me and my dad.
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So you bundle up the cards based on how many you get each year, right?
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Yes, ma'am.
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Cool.
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What's your favorite part about delivering the cards when you go to the VA home?
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It's really nice seeing their reactions, especially those that don't have much family to visit them because their reactions are always the best.
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Right.
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That's all they get.
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And do you sit there and kind of talk to them and spend some time with them after you hand them their cards?
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Sometimes they shake my hand and sometimes they give me a hug.
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It's really nice.
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Oh yeah, and I'm sure they appreciate it because the holidays, if you're alone, it can be a little hard sometimes, and even just a simple card and a hug can really brighten somebody's holiday.
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Who inspires you the most?
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Like a hero, a family member, or a veteran that you've met?
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Her bell Frank, he was a Pearl Harbor survivor that I wrote back and forth with a few times.
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I was actually invited to his birthday party one year but couldn't attend.
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He passed away recently, but I always remember how much pride he took in my efforts.
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Wow, that's really, really awesome.
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Okay, what is the funniest or silliest thing that's ever happened while you were collecting cards?
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Some of the handmade cards from the elementary schools can really be funny.
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Yes, because I feel like when you're little, you want to share everything with everybody.
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So I'm sure they had some fun things to say in their cards, right?
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Some funny and some kind of weird.
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Do you like to read them before you send them off?
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We don't really do that, but one time one light fell on the ground, and so then we looked inside of it.
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You took a peek.
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And it was really funny.
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It was funny.
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Yeah.
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I'm sure the veterans that receive them get a little chuckle, which again is good to have during the holiday season.
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Okay, we're coming down to our last few questions.
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How does it make you feel giving back to veterans through sending them Christmas cards?
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It feels really good, especially for the ones that don't have any family to visit them.
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And then what advice would you give other kids who want to start something meaningful like this?
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Because you started at a young age.
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You, you know, it went from practicing your handwriting to actually understanding that people are sending things back.
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And like you said, it's like having a bunch of pen pals in a way when you write to people or when you have other people write to them.
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So what advice would you give other kids who want to start something like this?
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Find something you enjoy and then find a way to use that and make a positive impact on others.
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And how long do you think you're going to be doing this for?
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Forever and ever?
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As long as you can?
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Yes, ma'am.
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Yep.
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And I think that it's awesome what you're doing.
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And it's fun to get people involved in things like this for the holiday season.
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And as you can see, we've got a bunch of Jones Onslow employees that are wanting to participate and send some letters as well.
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So we're excited to send you home with some letters to add to your account.
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And Tucker, where can people find out more about you and what you do?
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In Tucker's mailbox.
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I have a Facebook page and a website.
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And the Facebook page is where you said people can tune into the reveal of how many cards you get this year, correct?
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Well, thank you so much, Tucker.
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It was great to have you on, and you're an inspiration to everybody, not even just kids your age, but us too.
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It's it's great what you do, and we're excited to see how many cards you get this year.
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So thanks for joining us.
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Thank you.
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Santa knows how to save energy during the holidays.
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To stay cozy and warm in his workshop, the elves added weather stripping around doors and windows to keep the cold drafts out.
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Also, Santa sets the thermostat to 68 degrees.
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He turns it down even more if he has a house full of elves since they generate lots of warmth.
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How does Santa know so much?
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He regularly visits the Energy Center tab at JOEMC.com to keep up with all of the tips to save energy this holiday season and the rest of the year.
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We have had an incredible year at the co-op, and we're looking forward to bright things ahead in the new year of 2026.
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Christmas is just around the corner.
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While we wait for St.
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Nick to arrive, here are some holiday tips for using electricity safely around the home.
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Number one, inspect lights and decorations.
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Before plugging in holiday lights, check for frayed wires, broken bulbs, or loose connections.
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Replace any damaged strands.
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It's worth a small effort to prevent shocks or fire hazards.
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Number two, avoid overloaded outlets.
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Don't plug multiple extension cords or power strips into a single outlet.
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Spread out decorations across different circuits and use cords rated for the devices they're powering.
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Number three, keep heat sources away.
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Whether it's candles, space heaters, or the fireplace, keep them away from curtains, trees, and other flammable decorations.
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Never leave candles or space heaters unattended.
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Number four, outdoor safety.
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Make sure outdoor lights and decorations are rated for exterior use.
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Keep cords away from walkways and driveways to prevent tripping and avoid placing lights near water.
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And lastly, number five, unplug when not in use.
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Unplug decorations, chargers, and other electronics when you leave the house or go to bed to reduce fire risk and save energy.
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By following these simple steps, you can enjoy the warmth and sparkle of the season safely.
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Remember, electricity is a powerful tool.
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With a little care, you can make sure your holiday is bright and worry-free.
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Do you know of someone in need this season?
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Give them the gift of PowerBucks.
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Picture a neighbor coming home worried about their electric bill.
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With PowerBucks, you can help ease that worry.
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It's simple.
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Call 910-353-1940, choose an amount starting at$25, and we'll credit to a member in need.
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Want to give anonymously?
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We'll make sure they feel the warmth of their community without knowing who it came from.
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Powerbucks is more than a gift.
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It's a way to show compassion and a reminder that we're all in this together.
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Every PowerBuck you give brings a little more light into someone's life.
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And that's it for Flippin the Switch 2025.
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Be sure to go back and revisit some of your favorite moments from this year.
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I'm Natalie signing off.
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See you next year.
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Well, folks, that's all for today's episode of Flippin the Switch.
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Be sure to follow us on our social media platforms to stay in the loop with Jones Alonso.
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We'll see y'all next time.